Is Your Website Accessible To Users With Disabilities and Compliant With The European Accessibility Act (EAA)?
In the European Union, over 87 million people live with some form of disability, according to Eurostat. To address this, the EU has adopted Directive (EU) 2019/882 of the European Parliament and of the Council, commonly known as the European Accessibility Act (EAA). This directive sets harmonized accessibility requirements for a wide range of digital products and services, including websites, mobile applications, e-commerce platforms, and electronic communications. It is supported by the technical standard EN 301 549, which aligns closely with WCAG 2.1 Level AA criteria. Compliance became legally mandatory in June 2025 for most businesses operating in the EU. Global Reach is proud to be one of the first companies to offer WCAG and EAA compliant websites in Cyprus, well before the EAA regulation came into effect.
Failing to meet accessibility standards is not just a usability issue, it can cost you traffic, customer trust, and even subject your business to regulatory penalties. So, is your web design costing you traffic, or compliance?
There are many factors that go into making your website more user-friendly and legally compliant for those with disabilities:
- Visual impairments: Users with low vision or color blindness may struggle to read your content if there isn’t sufficient color contrast or if font sizes are too small. High contrast, scalable text, and alt text for images are essential.
- Assistive technologies: Many users rely on tools like screen readers, magnifiers, or Braille displays. Your website must be structured semantically and use ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) labels properly to ensure compatibility.
- Hearing impairments: Deaf or hard-of-hearing users may miss important information in video or audio content. Providing accurate captions, transcripts, and visual alternatives is crucial.
- Motor impairments: Users with limited fine motor skills may navigate with keyboards or voice commands instead of a mouse. Websites must be fully navigable via keyboard, with logical tab order and focus indicators.
Designing with accessibility in mind doesn’t just help people with disabilities, it improves usability for everyone. Plus, with increasing regulatory pressure both in the U.S. and the EU, accessibility is no longer optional; it’s essential.
Is Your Website Following WCAG & EAA Compliance Guidelines?
Understanding and maintaining accessibility compliance is an ongoing effort. To assist your team with locating and correcting compliance errors, Global Reach provides accessibility compliance web services ranging from full-service compliance reviews to hourly consultation, as well as compliance reviews and training. Our website accessibility managed services offer reviews to meet your specific needs, whether it’s a one-time occurrence or recurring reviews.
Looking For The Best Website Development & Custom Web Design?
The SiteViz Content Management System is built to support EAA and WCAG-compliant standards. Additionally, it’s secure, easy to use, and features a responsive web design. SiteViz provides you with the tools that you need to maintain optimum accessibility so all users can access your content.
Anchor Functionality
Create tables of content for long pages, allowing for easy page scanning.
Ordered & Unordered Lists
Use the right type of list for the right type of information.
Heading Hierarchy
Proper section headings help those using assistive technology understand the page structure.
Customize Page & Window Titles
Describe page content so all users can find what they’re looking for.
Include Image Descriptions
Not everyone can see images - SiteViz allows you to embed a description that screen readers can detect.
Show Users Where Links Will Take Them
Let all users know where a link will lead with a clear context.
Are You Ready To Make Your Website More Accessible?
Contact Global Reach today!
